


the times we weren't in love

by aliaaaaaa



Series: webgottrash tumblr prompts [43]
Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-03
Updated: 2016-05-03
Packaged: 2018-06-06 04:36:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6738463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aliaaaaaa/pseuds/aliaaaaaa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>See, Lieb never put too much stock in fate or destiny or kismet, but when his eyes landed on the tall guy with the thick dark hair and the too pretty face, he thought that the stars had aligned in his favor for this moment somehow.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the times we weren't in love

**Author's Note:**

> [yourpadfoot](http://yourpadfoot.tumblr.com/) requested for webgott wedding which made me write this instead of an actual wedding, oops.

During autumn, the leaves turned yellow, red, and gold, and the sea breeze brought in biting cold wind to San Francisco, hiding The Bay Area in misty fogs every morning.

This was when Joseph Liebgott and David Webster first met; both of them in their 20s and so unsure of what they wanted in life and of what the world wanted from them.

Their meeting was a coincidence; Lieb wasn’t supposed to be at the party that night – he had two sketches to submit the next day to his editor – but Toye had insisted that he came, so he went to have a good time; catching up with his friends, getting drunk and probably bringing someone back to his small apartment.

Those were his initial plan for the night but somehow it changed.

See, Lieb never put too much stock in fate or destiny or kismet, but when his eyes landed on the tall guy with the thick dark hair and the too pretty face, he thought that the stars had aligned in his favor for this moment somehow.

He left his friends, making his way to this guy who was leaning against the wall, drinking his beer in solitude, watching the crowd without actively be part of it, looking like a despondent poet.

“I’m Joe!” Lieb shouted over the loud bass, leaning closer so his voice was heard and at this distance with just a few inches of gap between them, he was aware of this guy; the way his forearms were firm, the way his bulky build filled his checkered shirt and his jeans nicely, the way the heady spicy smell lingered around him.

“Web!” The stranger, _Web_ replied in the same manner, only his voice was deep; a slow smile spreading his luscious lips tightly making him look mischievous and Lieb could feel something warm spreading low in his belly.

“Can’t help but notice that you’re alone which is a shame really.” Lieb grinned, all gleaming teeth and a bit predatory.

Web laughed like he was used to be hit like this on daily basis.

“Maybe I was waiting for someone pretty like you to come and talk to me.” Web leered at Lieb, running his eyes all over him, biting his lips when his eyes met Lieb’s.

The slow warmth in Lieb’s belly turned into something else; Lieb could feel it, the sparks running underneath his skin, crawling up his veins, swimming through his blood. Electric blue, as blue as Web’s eyes.

When Lieb was about to open his mouth to reply with something flirty, something hot, something that could guarantee Web to come home with him; someone jostled him aside, making the beer splashed on his shirt, soaking the thin material rapidly.

“M _otherfucker!_ ” Lieb swore and true to his quick temper, he swung his fist and punched the douchebag asshole on the face for ruining his favorite t-shirt.

The punch started the whole chain of reactions; some more guys decided that it was a good idea to hold him from causing more damage but Lieb kicked them hard and amidst the commotion he saw Malark and Muck came to help; throwing some guy across the room and smashing beer bottles on their heads. He vaguely aware of Luz and Babe chanting ‘FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!’ and of Toye swearing ‘FUCKING ASSHOLE’ loudly over the music before he punched some guy’s nose.

When a fist connected to Lieb’s jaw and making his stumble down on the floor, he noticed that Web quietly leave the party with a dark-haired, tall guy in tow; fucking asshole had his palm low on Web’s back and Lieb swore loudly for his stupidity for letting his anger got to him. He rolled out of the way when a body fell next to him and Luz helped him up and dragged him and the others out of the place before the police came.

The only thing he remembered of the party was the red on his knuckles and the blue of Web’s eyes.

*

The next time that Lieb and Web met, it was spring in San Francisco and the flowers only just starting to bloom; soft and colorful and pretty, making everything vibrant and alive.

Only Lieb didn’t feel like living because his allergy was acting up and he was now sitting on the hard plastic chair, waiting for his number to be called. His head felt so woozy and it felt like his brain was switched with cotton balls instead, making him feel like he’s floating.

“Joe.”

Lieb opened his eyes – feeling annoyed that his rest was interrupted – only to see the bluest of blue staring back at him and Lieb remembered the night at the party; the deep voice, the heady spicy scent, the naughty leer.

“Web,” Lieb croaked his name and cleared his throat as Web sat down at the vacant seat across from him.

“Not feeling well?” Web asked, scrunching his nose up when Lieb wiped his own watery nose with a handkerchief.

“I feel like dying,” Lieb answered, taking a deep breath to calm the tickle in his throat. “I’m surprised you remember me.”

Web smiled at that, his blue eyes meeting Lieb’s brown eyes. “How could I forget the pretty guy with the quick temper and quicker punch,” Web grinned when Lieb narrowed his eyes at him and he was prepared to say that he was surprised Web remembered him since he went home with some guy but his tirade was held by his hacking cough and he doubled over when the cough got to him bad.

“You’re okay. Breathe. Just breathe.”

Lieb felt rather than saw Web sitting next to him, his thigh pressing close to Lieb’s; Web’s smooth, deep voice washing over him and he felt Web’s palm gliding firmly on his back, so warm and so comforting and Lieb felt the same electric blue sparks rushing through his spine, licking their way up his back and settling in his chest heavily.

It’s been months since they were this close, having Web next to him and it shook Lieb a bit by how much this felt comfortable for him; and he wasn’t even thinking about boning Web either.

“You okay?” Web asked, his palm still gliding on Lieb’s back again and again, making the sparks jumped and crackled.

“Yeah. Sorry about that,” Lieb answered, feeling Web’s comforting warmness seeping through his shirt.

“Nothing to be sorry about,” Web smiled when Lieb turned to look at him and Lieb felt like he couldn’t breathe again not because of his allergy, but because of Web’s blue eyes and how Web looked really beautiful despite the shitty fluorescent lights, as cliche as it sounded. Lieb would really, really like to take Web out on a date, to get to know him better because the sparks were making his nerves frizzled with longing and wanting.

Except, when he was about to open his mouth, someone tapped Web’s shoulder and his blue eyes were no longer on Lieb.

“Ready to go?” The intruder asked and Lieb narrowed his eyes at him, mentally telling him to fuck off.

“Yeah,” Web replied, standing up abruptly and Lieb felt so cold so suddenly and he felt Web’s heavy palm on his shoulder and those blue eyes were suddenly on him.

“Take care, Joe. I’ll see you around.”

With that Web walked away with another guy and Lieb felt like rolling on the floor and wailing from the injustice of it all, only his number was called and he went to meet his doctor instead.

*

It’s summer and Lieb had a date.

It wasn’t his plan per say to go out with this guy, but Toye had wrote down his number on the back of Lieb’s hand, saying that he should move on already from Blue Eyes.

Lieb relented because there was no use of fighting Toye and he knew that he should move on from Web because they didn’t have anything to start with.

But, fuck. Whenever he thought of Web and his smile and his blue eyes; the dormant sparks just burned up all of the sudden, coming to live with each thought of Web. It was ridiculous because he didn’t even know Web’s full name but he was already so hung up on him and it was fucking his mood up so bad that Toye told him “to just move the fuck on and go on a date.”

Which was why he was here outside the ticket booth waiting for his date to come back from the gents.

“Joe?”

Lieb swore under his breath. He fucking did. He swore the fucking aligned stars for teasing him like this, for dangling Web in front of him and taking him back too suddenly.

He turned around and sure enough Web was standing there in front of the concession booth, a bag of popcorn in his hand.

Lieb looked at Web, running his eyes briefly from head to toe. Web looked good; a bit tan and there were slight freckles peppered on his nose and his hair had that healthy tint glow to it like he had been spending too much time outdoor.

“Web,” Lieb greeted the man standing in front of him, he could feel the slow lick of sparks beginning to come alive in his belly.

“I knew it was you,” Web said, grinning as he came forward to stand closer to Lieb and Lieb felt his body started to lean forward to meet Web, and the sparks flared in earnest now when he caught the whiff of the spicy scent.

Lieb shook his head gently, clearing his mind from the spell and stomping down hard on the sparks.

“Still couldn’t forget my pretty face?” Lieb heard himself said and he cursed himself because now wasn’t the right time to get flirty with Web because he promised himself that he would finally move on.

But fuck.

Web was in front of him now, smiling toothily at him like he was really genuinely happy to see Lieb.

“How could I forget a face like you, Joe?” Web replied, grinning that bordering on leering and fuck, fuck, fuck, Lieb shouldn’t be feeling this, but he was caught between punching Web’s pretty face or dragging him by his collar to kiss him hard.

“You with the pretty words,” Lieb said, feeling his mouth tugging up voluntarily and because he was the stupid guy who couldn’t shut his mouth, he asked, “Watching movie with your boyfriend?”

Web’s face clouded for a brief moment before he offered Lieb a wistful smile. “No, I just got out from the cinema. Alone actually. We broke up before the summer started.”

Lieb felt like punching his own face for making Web’s eyes clouded with sadness. But the sparks, oh the sparks were coming alive with this news and they burned brightly, warming his heart.

“I’m so sorry,” Lieb said, except he wasn’t feeling sorry at all.

“It’s fine. I was the one who broke up with him because… Well it’s stupid, really,” Web replied, swaying slightly in his place as if he too was being pulled by some invincible cord to be closer to Lieb.

“What?” Lieb asked, cocking his eyebrow in question.

Web sighed deeply, biting his lip and shook his head. “Because I didn’t feel the sparks when I was with him. And I was hoping that I would run into you again because–.”

Lieb felt hot all over; he felt his skin turning into shades of red as he burned for this man standing in front of him saying things that he wanted to hear since months ago.

Only–

“I’m ready,” a voice, his date, Lieb’s date said as he sidled up next to Lieb and looking between him and Web.

Fucking stars and heaven above.

“Yeah, okay,” Lieb replied distractedly, his eyes never leaving Web’s face and the man in front of him smiled, one end of the lip tugging up as realization dawned on him.

No. No. No. Fucking no. Fucking stars should align right about now and made this happen for him and Web.

“–Well, it’s nice to see you again, Joe. Take care and enjoy the movie.”

With that Web once again walked away from him and Lieb rubbed his face hard, messing up his perfectly coiffed hair as he cursed his fate.

He shouldn’t.

He really shouldn’t because it’s rude and his Ma taught him better than that but his Ma also taught him to grab opportunity by its hand now than regretting it later.

“I’m sorry, I have to go,” Lieb said to his date whose name he had forgotten now because all he could see was Web’s blue eyes and all he could feel was the red of the sparks.

Lieb ran out from the cinema hall, leaving his date gaping at his back, hoping that Web hadn’t gotten too far away.

It was crazy and cliche and corny because he didn’t even know Web and this probably would end badly for him and hell, he wasn’t the type to believe in fate or destiny or kismet but, God, right now he was hoping for the stars to just aligned once more in their places so that Web and him could try this – whatever this was – together.

Maybe the stars took pity on him, maybe God said it was time for him to get what he wanted because amidst the big crowd going about with their lives, Lieb saw Web standing underneath the tree, like he was waiting for something, someone because he was swaying his body slightly, holding on to his bag of popcorn; like the time Lieb first met him at the party. The sunlight made his thick hair shine and when Web turned his face to look at Lieb’s direction, his eyes were electric blue, as blue as the sparks he had ignited in Lieb.

And the sparks grew and grew and grew as Lieb got closer and closer and closer to where Web was standing; Web who looked expectantly at him, Web who tried to hide his smile but failing because Lieb could see his luscious lips stretching out in a wide grin even when he looked the other way.

“Can’t help but notice that you’re alone which is a shame really,” Lieb said, echoing the words that he had used on Web months ago and Web huffed out a laugh, shaking his head and gazed at Lieb with his too clear blue eyes and the sparks were charging and crackling around them and he swore Web could feel it too because the hair on his arms stood on end.

“Maybe I was waiting for someone pretty like you to come and talk to me,” Web replied, biting his lips as soon as the words escaped from his mouth and Lieb felt his heart sing, felt his body coming closer within Web’s personal space, felt the electric bounced off his skin to Web’s skin when he pulled Web by his collar and lightly brushed their lips together.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” Lieb murmured and he felt warmth licking up his spine when Web placed his palms on his back to pull him closer, and then, so easily, too easily, like they hadn’t been waiting for this to happen at all; Web slid his mouth over Lieb’s and kissed him tenderly, feeling the sparks bursting behind their eyelids, momentarily blinding them and then they came alive when Lieb pressed their lips firmer, when Web holding Lieb tighter.

Never letting go.

*

Being with Web felt like coming home after wandering around aimlessly for so long. Web was comfort, Web was serenity, Web was peace that eluded him for too long.

The times they weren’t in love, the times they weren’t together felt insignificant now that they were together; learning about each other, understanding one another.

There were things that Lieb came to love about Web; his love for the ocean, and the time he spent bringing Lieb on his small boat, navigating it with ease as he showed Lieb the open sea, so blue but not as blue as Web’s eyes. Web with his love for writing, where he wrote poems for Lieb; sappy, passionate poems that made him blushed in delight.

( _Give me a piece of paper and a working pen,_

_And I will write you a love poem,_

_Words that will cure a broken heart._

_And for me to love you, I am alive,_

_And for you to love me, I am blithe._ )

And then there were things that Lieb felt annoyed with Web; of how messy he could be when he was writing; messing up his desk with books and crumpled papers and empty coffee mugs. Of his penchant to make Lieb angry with just a few choice of words, resulting in shouting matches that ended up with them aggressively fucking each other on any surface available. Of his tardiness, always late at everything including his own wedding.

He should have known. They have been together for three years now. He should have expected this to happen when his Ma told him not to meet with David for a week because they’re following the Jewish tradition.

But Lieb had snuck out from his childhood home to be at their apartment the night before the wedding.

Making slow, gentle love on their shared bed and holding each other tight as they moved together in perfectly synchronised harmony, Lieb whispering ‘David’ into Web’s skin while Web groaning ‘Lieb’ out loud as he let go; the red, blue sparks sizzled on their skins.

And now he was being punished for breaking the tradition by Web being 10 minutes late for his own wedding.

He saw his Ma and Pa fidgeting in their seat, turning around to check if David had arrived or not. Web’s parents squinting their eyes in the sun, apparently too used of Web being late at the most important moment in his life.

Hell, he dated the douchebag for months before he met Lieb, didn’t he?

“He’s not gonna skip his own wedding, right?” Toye asked as he lighted up a cigarette and offered it to Lieb.

“Skinny isn’t here yet too so I don’t think he’s skipping this,” Lieb answered calmly, but inhaling the cigarette greedily to calm his nerves.

When Web showed up, Lieb would definitely going to trip him down the stairs or maybe kick his kneecap off so he couldn’t walk for a month.

But all the vicious thoughts gone out of the window, when he felt the sparks ignited low in his belly, felt the pull that he always felt whenever Web was near and sure enough, like the sun rising up from the east without failing, here was Web running towards him; face flushed and hopelessly tying his bow-tie; his hair glinting in the sunlight, the end of his jacket suit flying behind him.

Running towards their future.

Even though it was midday, even though the sun was up and the stars were hidden, Lieb knew they were aligned perfectly as Web stopped in front of him, breathless and flushed and looking far too pleased for someone who was 10 minutes late for his own wedding.

“You’re late,” Lieb whispered, running his fingers through Web’s soft thick hair, petting it gently to make it manageable and flicking his eyes to Web’s clear blue as he helped tied the bow.

“Someone kept me up way past my bedtime last night,” Web answered, grinning smugly as he leaned forward to brush his lips against Lieb’s earlobe.

Before Lieb could retort that Web was the reason why they both were up past their bedtime, his Ma came down to the end of the aisle to drag Lieb away from Web.

Lieb looked back to see Web winking and mouthing ‘I love you’ to him and Lieb grinned, feeling the sparks coming alive again when he thought that in a few minutes, Web would come to him; that the time they spent together, the time they were in love had come to this, with David Webster standing in front of Joseph Liebgott, as his husband, as his star, as his everything.

In love and alive.

**Author's Note:**

> first posted on [webgottrash](http://webgottrash.tumblr.com/post/143797116377/butwhat-about-webgott-wedding)


End file.
